By Michael Moraitis--Featured Columnist (@michaelmoraitis)
Despite all the injuries and overall distractions surrounding the New York Yankees this season, it's incredible to see them just 3.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second and final wild-card spot.
Adding to their numerous problems this season, the Yankees have seen their "ace" CC Sabathia decline faster than a roller coaster in 2013. For the season, Sabathia is a dreadful 11-11 with a 4.81 ERA. That ERA is a full run higher than his career average, by the way.
While the team continues to search for the reasons why Sabathia has been awful, fellow starter Hiroki Kuroda has surpassed him as the team's ace and it isn't even close. Kuroda is 11-9 with a 2.71 ERA, and the case can certainly be made that he would have more wins if the Bombers were actually bombing this season.
The same can't be said for Sabathia, who has allowed four runs or more in 12 of his 27 starts this season. In those starts, the Yanks are 4-8. Just imagine where the Bombers would be if Sabathia had pitched well this season.
The case can easily be made that this squad would be a lot closer, if not owning the lead in the wild card at this point. And yes, that's even counting all the other things the Bombers had to deal with this season.
It's always easy for people to point to the injuries and say that's a big reason, but this team has had next to no problem overcoming those injuries to play good enough baseball to compete. The biggest thing for New York to have success was to have its pitchers throwing at the top of their games.
Granted, not everyone did just that, but for the most part the Yanks rotation and pitching staff overall has done a nice job. That is, with the exception of Sabathia, who is the single guy in the rotation you'd expect to come out and give you a chance to win every fifth day.
That thought process couldn't be further from reality this season. Instead, the Yanks are getting a $23 million piece of coal in their stocking.
However, all is not lost even after such a pathetic campaign for one of the highest-paid pitchers in baseball. There is still time to salvage what has been a lost season for Sabathia and the time to salvage starts right now at this very moment.
Sabathia looked better in the Yanks 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, but even then the Bombers staked their former ace to a 2-0 lead which he blew. It was another microcosm of just how poor Sabathia has been at keeping leads this season.
Moving forward, Sabathia must finish this season strong if he wants to help his team to October. He will be one of the most important players from which the Bombers need contributions from down the stretch and if he can answer the bell, there's no question the Yanks have more than enough pitching and offense to successfully complete a run that nobody thought they were capable of just last month.
The ball is in your court, CC. Now take it or leave it.
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